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N0. 620,55I. Patented Feb. 28, I899.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN PORTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHARLES P. DYER, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND CHARLES F. LIBBY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

MIRROR-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,551, dated February 28, 1899.

Application filed May 20, 1898. serial No. 681,244. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN PORTER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mirror-Hinges, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of frictionhinges especially adapted for hanging mirrors and the like. The invention consists in a friction-hinge composed of two detachable parts or members, one comprising a shank having a neck and an oblongish head-i. a, a headhaving one of its diameters less than another-and the other comprising a socket open at the top to receive said head, having yielding or springacting end walls and also having a bearing for the neck; also, in a friction-hinge composed of two parts or members, one comprising a shank, an oblongish neck, and an oblongish head, and the other comprising a socket adapted to receive said head, having spring-acting end walls and having a keyholeslot in one of its side walls to receive said neck. The oblongish head is made with a pair of curved sides or faces which are adapted to frictionally engage the yieldingor springacting end walls of the socket, and the oblongish neck is made of a width and length so that it can enter the keyhole-slot in the socket when properly disposed relatively thereto, and when turned, say, one-quarter of a revolution said neck cannot be withdrawn.

Figure 1 shows in plan view a friction-hinge embodying this invention; Fig.2, an end view of the hinge, showing the head of one 'part dropped into the socket of the other part, but not turned therein, and showing in dotted lines the position of the yielding or springacting end walls of the socket as they will appear when said head is turned; Fig. 3, an end view similar to Fig. 2, showing the head of one part dropped into the socket of the other part and turned to thereby frictionally engage the yielding or spring-acting end walls of the socket; and Fig. 4, a cross-section of the hinge, taken on the dotted line a 00 of Fig. 1.

at the end thereof, and a head a One of the parts or members of the hinge consists of a shank a, adapted to be driven or fitted into a hole provided for it, a neck a The neck a and head a are both made more or lessoblongishthat is, one of the diameters of which is less than another. The neck a. may be made as a circular post slabbed ofi at each side to thereby give it an oblongish shape, or it may be otherwise constructed. The head a may also be made oblongish in a similar way; but said head is constructed with a pair of curved sides or faces a (see dotted lines, Fig. 4,) which are adapted to frictionally engage the end walls of a socket on the other part of the hinge which is adapted to receive said head. The other part or member of the hinge consists of a socket it, having a baseplate or leaf 1), adapted to receive the fastening by which the socket is securely fixed in place. The opposite side walls of said socket are formed with vertically-disposed keyholeslots at 5 (see Figs. 2, 3, and 4,) which are cut down at a point near the middle of the socket, and said slots enable the end walls of the socket to yield, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2. The socket is made of a length corresponding to the shortest diameter of the head a of the other part or member of the hinge, and when said head is dropped into said socket and turned it will be seen that the end walls of said socket will be caused to yield.

The material of which the socket is composed is quite thin, and when slotted, as above described, these yielding end walls are given an inherent spring action, and such spring action causes the head a when dropped thereinto and turned, to frictionally engage with considerable force, so that the hinge may be used to support a heavy article and hold it frictionally in different positions.

The neck of the keyhole-slot is made of a width corresponding to the shortest dimensions of the neck a to thereby allow said neck to freely enter the slot, but when it is turned therein, say, a quarter of a revolution it cannot then be withdrawn.

I claim- 1. A friction-hinge composed of two detachable parts or members,one comprising a shank having a neck and an oblongish head, and the other comprising a socket open at the top to receive said head and having spring-acting 5 end Walls, and also having a bearing for the said head having spring-acting end walls, and

having a keyhole-slot in one of its side walls 20 to receive said neck, substantially as described.

4. A friction-hinge composed of two parts or members one comprising a shank with a head thereon and the other comprising a socket adapted to receive said head, having its opposite side walls slotted to give spring action to its end walls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

STEPHEN PORTER.

Witnesses:

B. J. NoYEs, JENNIE L. HUTCHINSON. 

